Dennis Patrick Claire, DPM
My foot health and development is like any other average American. Primarily shod at all times, unshod in summers on the grass and beach. Being barefoot almost completely ceased by my early 20s.
I was raised by a father who valued education not only for opportunity but primarily for the search of knowledge. He always inspired me to think, to question and to evaluate. I've been immersed in science since a young age, and always been focused on the health and natural sciences. Before podiatry, I did fisheries and ecology research as an undergraduate at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
I have always espoused athletics. Over the years I've been a competitive cyclist and triathlete, but I've always run, whether competitively or for fun and fitness.
My family was frugal and so was I. When I began running longer distances in my late teens, I was advised to wear this shoe or another, but I rarely listened; it was straight to the clearance bin for the cheapest pair of shoes I could find. I was especially baffled by the trail shoes that were made to be thick-soled and heavy. These were the last things I wanted on my feet for long, technical trail runs. I thought the high heel would just create leverage for an ankle sprain. So I started using cross country waffle flats; very light, zero heel drop, no support.
In podiatry school, we learned "Root and Weed" biomechanics (the authors of major podiatric biomechanical research). We apply these principles to creating orthotics, and I always wondered why there was little peer-reviewed literature supporting their efficacy. Based on these biomechanical ideas, shoe companies created levels of 'pronation control' in shoes, that I myself taught and sold as a store clerk in a running shoe shop. As with good science instead of marketing, what has started to become evident through peer-reviewed literature is the idea that the pronation-control running shoe is not correct. I do believe orthotics have their place for many specific situations, and have full worth for many people not willing or able to make the switch to a minimalist and barefoot lifestyle. However, I believe the foot evolved to function without help, and can potentially be healthier and stronger without influence from most modern shoes.
The realm of people and their shoes does not primarily encompass protecting their feet. There is a psycho-social component to shoes and their connection to status and beauty. At different times in human history, being obese and smoking have held the status of representing wealth and class, respectively. We know now that both of these are unhealthy. Maybe one day more research will change the tide in a similar way on modern shoes.
I have always been a functionalist, and if any part of our body were meant to be for function alone, it is our feet. As a podiatrist, I want to help people regain natural function to their feet to prevent future problems. I believe that requires hard work through physical therapy and especially letting go of social and psychological constraints of what an appropriate shoe should be. First, the path to healthy feet starts with overall health and fitness including diet and exercise. Once you've started on that journey, I can help you get there on your feet.
I was raised by a father who valued education not only for opportunity but primarily for the search of knowledge. He always inspired me to think, to question and to evaluate. I've been immersed in science since a young age, and always been focused on the health and natural sciences. Before podiatry, I did fisheries and ecology research as an undergraduate at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
I have always espoused athletics. Over the years I've been a competitive cyclist and triathlete, but I've always run, whether competitively or for fun and fitness.
My family was frugal and so was I. When I began running longer distances in my late teens, I was advised to wear this shoe or another, but I rarely listened; it was straight to the clearance bin for the cheapest pair of shoes I could find. I was especially baffled by the trail shoes that were made to be thick-soled and heavy. These were the last things I wanted on my feet for long, technical trail runs. I thought the high heel would just create leverage for an ankle sprain. So I started using cross country waffle flats; very light, zero heel drop, no support.
In podiatry school, we learned "Root and Weed" biomechanics (the authors of major podiatric biomechanical research). We apply these principles to creating orthotics, and I always wondered why there was little peer-reviewed literature supporting their efficacy. Based on these biomechanical ideas, shoe companies created levels of 'pronation control' in shoes, that I myself taught and sold as a store clerk in a running shoe shop. As with good science instead of marketing, what has started to become evident through peer-reviewed literature is the idea that the pronation-control running shoe is not correct. I do believe orthotics have their place for many specific situations, and have full worth for many people not willing or able to make the switch to a minimalist and barefoot lifestyle. However, I believe the foot evolved to function without help, and can potentially be healthier and stronger without influence from most modern shoes.
The realm of people and their shoes does not primarily encompass protecting their feet. There is a psycho-social component to shoes and their connection to status and beauty. At different times in human history, being obese and smoking have held the status of representing wealth and class, respectively. We know now that both of these are unhealthy. Maybe one day more research will change the tide in a similar way on modern shoes.
I have always been a functionalist, and if any part of our body were meant to be for function alone, it is our feet. As a podiatrist, I want to help people regain natural function to their feet to prevent future problems. I believe that requires hard work through physical therapy and especially letting go of social and psychological constraints of what an appropriate shoe should be. First, the path to healthy feet starts with overall health and fitness including diet and exercise. Once you've started on that journey, I can help you get there on your feet.